It's been a very long time since I posted much on this board. Like a lot of people who struggle with weight, my weight has been up and down but unfortunatley more up than down the last few years. I'm embarking on a new effort to change this.

<background>I am a single 31 year old woman. My start weight for my latest and greatest effort and improving my health and slimming down was 256.4. OUCH OUCH OUCH.

My parents are both overweight, diabetes runs all through the family, as does heart disease and high blood pressure. At 31, I haven't had any of these problems but I see the writing on the wall and know I have to do something.

About four years ago or so, I lost about 40 pounds using Weight Watchers online. This was great, but a few months after that my life was turned around when I moved across the state and started a new job. Over the next 3 years, I gained all the weight I lost, plus about 5 more pounds or so. I have engaged in a few half hearted attempts to do better and lose some weight, but never was as serious as the time I lost the weight on weight watchers.

<fast forward to the present>About two weeks ago, I got sick on a thursday and was sick for a few days. During this period of time I got very mopey and started feeling negative and sort of sorry for myself. There were a lot of things that came to mind, not the least of which is that I should be in the prime of my life and I am tired, achy, obese, and don't like looking in the mirror, and that I haven't been able to find the strength to lose much weight in the past couple of years.

On Monday, 2/13, I woke up with a thought in my head. The thought was "dianakalt, you will join weight watchers again. It is the only thing that worked for you, and you know it can work again. You have a friend attending a weight watchers meeting she likes and you can go with her. You owe this to yourself."

So on Tuesday, 2/14 I attended my first ever weight-watchers meeting (as I said before, my first WW gig was online). I went with my friend, weighed in at the aforementioned 256.4, and began a journey.

My first week on weight watchers I did very well, felt good about it, and lost 3 pounds. I am ever so happy about it, and I feel much better because I have been preparing more food at home and eating lost of veggies and fruits and having water.

YAY ME!

However, it gets better. I discovered another friend at work who wants to lose a similar amount of weight that I did. She and I got to talking about the topic, and ended up signing up for the gym at my work. It's one of the cheapest possible gyms I could join, with no contract, and is like 500 feet from my desk. She and I worked out together 2 times this week and are planning to do it 2-3 times a week whenever we can.

I already am feeling better from all my efforts. I have a long way to go (around 90-100 pounds to lose) but for the first time since my initial 40 pound loss, I feel like there is hope to do it.

I hope everyone else is doing well and I look forward to reading whenever I get a chance.

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